This article aims to help you by explaining how to remove the x1881 ransomware from your computer and how to restore files that have been encrypted with added .x1881 one.
A ransomware virus, known as the x1881 ransomware has been reported to infect victims’ computers and encrypt the files on them, using the AES encryption algorithm. The malware aims to perform various encryption tasks which leave the files no longer able to be opened and with an added either random file extension or the .kgpvwnr one. The malware also aims to drop it’s ransom note file, named _HELP_INSTRUCTION.TXT and it aims to convince victims into paying a hefty ransom fee to get the cyber-criminals to decrypt the files. If you are one of the victims of the x1881 ransomware, we recommend that you read this article fully in order to learn how to remove this ransomware and restore the encrypted files by it.
Threat Summary
| Name | x1881 Virus |
| Type | Ransomware, Cryptovirus |
| Short Description | Encrypts the files and then drops a ransom note, asking victims to pay money in order to get the files decrypted again. |
| Symptoms | Aims to encrypt the files on your computer via the AES cipher and they are added .x1881 file extension afterwards. Drops ransom note, which is named either _HELP_INSTRUCTION.TXT |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments, Executable files |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware
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Malware Removal Tool
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss x1881 Virus. |
| Data Recovery Tool | Windows Data Recovery by Stellar Phoenix Notice! This product scans your drive sectors to recover lost files and it may not recover 100% of the encrypted files, but only few of them, depending on the situation and whether or not you have reformatted your drive. |
x1881 Files Virus Distribution Methods
The x1881 ransomware is a virus which has been reported to be a variant of CryptoMix, which if modified properly, can be turned into a very dangerous ransomware. The creators of the virus are known by their handles “Shark”, “Error” and “Empty”. They may have embedded the virus in different forms in order to spread it:
- Malicious e-mail attachment.
- Malicious software setup.
- Fake key generator or game crack.
The most often spread method which is also used by more than 80% of ransomware viruses, like x1881 out there has been reported to be via spam e-mails. Those e-mails either have the malicious file as an attachment or link a third-party site in them from which it can be downloaded, for example:
x1881 Ransomware – Malicious Activity
Once this ransomware virus has been initiated on your computer, the malware drops it’s payload files on the infected machine. The malicious file which has been associated with this ransomware has the name Ripple, similar to the company Ripple, behind the XRP cryptocurrency. The malicious files of this virus may be located in the following Windows locations:
- %Program Data%
- %AppData%
- %Temp%
- %Roaming%
- %Local%
In addition to this, the virus also drops a ransom note file, named _HELP_INSTRUCTION.TXT and it has the following message to victims:
Hello!
Attention! All Your data was encrypted!
For specific informartion, please send us an email with Your ID number:
x1881@tuta.io
x1883@yandex.com
x1881@protonmail.com
x1884@yandex.com
Please send email to all email addresses! We will help You as soon as possible!
DECRYPT-ID-[id] number
After the ransom note of the ransomware is dropped, x1881 files virus may attack the Windows registry editor of the infected computer and modify the following registry sub-keys to make it’s malicious executables run automatically on system start:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
After this has been done, the x1881 ransomware may also perform other activities on the victim’s PC, such as delete the Shadow Volume Copies of it via the following commands:
→ sc stop VVS
stop wscsvc
sc stop WinDefend
sc stop wuauserv
sc stop BITS
sc stop ERSvc
sc stop WerSvc
vssadmin.exe Delete Shadows /All /Quiet
bcdedit /set {default} recoveryenabled No
bcdedit /set {default} bootstatuspolicy ignoreallfailures
After doing so, the ransomware can begin encrypting the files on your computer.
x1881 Files Virus Encryption
The encryption process of this virus is done via the most sophisticated encryption method of all – a combination of the AES and RSA encryption algorithms. The malware begins to perform the encryption process by firstly encrypting the files on the infected computer via the AES encryption algoithm, thus generating a symmetric decryption key after which the ransomware may begin to encrypt the decryption keys of each file, generating unique RSA keys, which are known to the cyber-criminals. The files, targeted for encryption are reported to be the following:
→ “PNG .PSD .PSPIMAGE .TGA .THM .TIF .TIFF .YUV .AI .EPS .PS .SVG .INDD .PCT .PDF .XLR .XLS .XLSX .ACCDB .DB .DBF .MDB .PDB .SQL .APK .APP .BAT .CGI .COM .EXE .GADGET .JAR .PIF .WSF .DEM .GAM .NES .ROM .SAV CAD Files .DWG .DXF GIS Files .GPX .KML .KMZ .ASP .ASPX .CER .CFM .CSR .CSS .HTM .HTML .JS .JSP .PHP .RSS .XHTML. DOC .DOCX .LOG .MSG .ODT .PAGES .RTF .TEX .TXT .WPD .WPS .CSV .DAT .GED .KEY .KEYCHAIN .PPS .PPT .PPTX ..INI .PRF Encoded Files .HQX .MIM .UUE .7Z .CBR .DEB .GZ .PKG .RAR .RPM .SITX .TAR.GZ .ZIP .ZIPX .BIN .CUE .DMG .ISO .MDF .TOAST .VCD SDF .TAR .TAX2014 .TAX2015 .VCF .XML Audio Files .AIF .IFF .M3U .M4A .MID .MP3 .MPA .WAV .WMA Video Files .3G2 .3GP .ASF .AVI .FLV .M4V .MOV .MP4 .MPG .RM .SRT .SWF .VOB .WMV 3D .3DM .3DS .MAX .OBJ R.BMP .DDS .GIF .JPG ..CRX .PLUGIN .FNT .FON .OTF .TTF .CAB .CPL .CUR .DESKTHEMEPACK .DLL .DMP .DRV .ICNS .ICO .LNK .SYS .CFG”
After the encryption process of this ransomware has completed, It renames the encrypted files, so that the important ones are not recognizable and adds the x1881 file extension to them. This results in files encrypted by x1881 ransomware to appear like the following:
Remove x1881 Ransomware and Restore .x1881 Files
In order to remove this virus from your computer, we strongly recommend that you focus on following the instructions below. They are specifically designed to help you remove this infection either manually or automatically. For maximum effectiveness of the removal, security experts strongly recommend to use an advanced anti-malware software which will scan the malicious files of x1881 ransomware and remove them automaticaly.
If you want to restore files that have been encrypted by the x1881 virus, it is recommended to see our alternative suggestions in step “2. Restore files encrypted by x1881 Virus” below. They may not be 100% effective, but may help you restore as many files as possible without you having to pay for decryption.
Ventsislav Krastev
Ventsislav is a cybersecurity expert at SensorsTechForum since 2015. He has been researching, covering, helping victims with the latest malware infections plus testing and reviewing software and the newest tech developments. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for learning new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management, Network Administration and Computer Administration of System Applications, he found his true calling within the cybersecrurity industry and is a strong believer in the education of every user towards online safety and security.
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Step 1: Scan for x1881 Virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Ransomware Automatic Removal - Video Guide
Step 2: Uninstall x1881 Virus and related malware from Windows
Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully delete most unwanted and malicious programs.
Step 3: Clean any registries, created by x1881 Virus on your computer.
The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by x1881 Virus there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.
Before starting "Step 4", please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode.
This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.
Step 4: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove x1881 Virus
Step 5: Try to Restore Files Encrypted by x1881 Virus.
Method 1: Use STOP Decrypter by Emsisoft.
Not all variants of this ransomware can be decrypted for free, but we have added the decryptor used by researchers that is often updated with the variants which become eventually decrypted. You can try and decrypt your files using the instructions below, but if they do not work, then unfortunately your variant of the ransomware virus is not decryptable.
Follow the instructions below to use the Emsisoft decrypter and decrypt your files for free. You can download the Emsisoft decryption tool linked here and then follow the steps provided below:
1 Right-click on the decrypter and click on Run as Administrator as shown below:
2. Agree with the license terms:
3. Click on "Add Folder" and then add the folders where you want files decrypted as shown underneath:
4. Click on "Decrypt" and wait for your files to be decoded.
Note: Credit for the decryptor goes to Emsisoft researchers who have made the breakthrough with this virus.
Method 2: Use data recovery software
Ransomware infections and x1881 Virus aim to encrypt your files using an encryption algorithm which may be very difficult to decrypt. This is why we have suggested a data recovery method that may help you go around direct decryption and try to restore your files. Bear in mind that this method may not be 100% effective but may also help you a little or a lot in different situations.
Simply click on the link and on the website menus on the top, choose Data Recovery - Data Recovery Wizard for Windows or Mac (depending on your OS), and then download and run the tool.
x1881 Virus-FAQ
What is x1881 Virus Ransomware?
x1881 Virus is a ransomware infection - the malicious software that enters your computer silently and blocks either access to the computer itself or encrypt your files.
Many ransomware viruses use sophisticated encryption algorithms to make your files inaccessible. The goal of ransomware infections is to demand that you pay a ransom payment to get access to your files back.
What Does x1881 Virus Ransomware Do?
Ransomware in general is a malicious software that is designed to block access to your computer or files until a ransom is paid.
Ransomware viruses can also damage your system, corrupt data and delete files, resulting in the permanent loss of important files.
How Does x1881 Virus Infect?
Via several ways.x1881 Virus Ransomware infects computers by being sent via phishing emails, containing virus attachment. This attachment is usually masked as an important document, like an invoice, bank document or even a plane ticket and it looks very convincing to users.
Another way you may become a victim of x1881 Virus is if you download a fake installer, crack or patch from a low reputation website or if you click on a virus link. Many users report getting a ransomware infection by downloading torrents.
How to Open .x1881 Virus files?
You can't without a decryptor. At this point, the .x1881 Virus files are encrypted. You can only open them once they are decrypted using a specific decryption key for the particular algorithm.
What to Do If a Decryptor Does Not Work?
Do not panic, and backup the files. If a decryptor did not decrypt your .x1881 Virus files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
Can I Restore ".x1881 Virus" Files?
Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore .x1881 Virus files.
These methods are in no way 100% guaranteed that you will be able to get your files back. But if you have a backup, your chances of success are much greater.
How To Get Rid of x1881 Virus Virus?
The safest way and the most efficient one for the removal of this ransomware infection is the use a professional anti-malware program.
It will scan for and locate x1881 Virus ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important .x1881 Virus files.
Can I Report Ransomware to Authorities?
In case your computer got infected with a ransomware infection, you can report it to the local Police departments. It can help authorities worldwide track and determine the perpetrators behind the virus that has infected your computer.
Below, we have prepared a list with government websites, where you can file a report in case you are a victim of a cybercrime:
Cyber-security authorities, responsible for handling ransomware attack reports in different regions all over the world:
Germany - Offizielles Portal der deutschen Polizei
United States - IC3 Internet Crime Complaint Centre
United Kingdom - Action Fraud Police
France - Ministère de l'Intérieur
Italy - Polizia Di Stato
Spain - Policía Nacional
Netherlands - Politie
Poland - Policja
Portugal - Polícia Judiciária
Greece - Cyber Crime Unit (Hellenic Police)
India - Mumbai Police - CyberCrime Investigation Cell
Australia - Australian High Tech Crime Center
Reports may be responded to in different timeframes, depending on your local authorities.
Can You Stop Ransomware from Encrypting Your Files?
Yes, you can prevent ransomware. The best way to do this is to ensure your computer system is updated with the latest security patches, use a reputable anti-malware program and firewall, backup your important files frequently, and avoid clicking on malicious links or downloading unknown files.
Can x1881 Virus Ransomware Steal Your Data?
Yes, in most cases ransomware will steal your information. It is a form of malware that steals data from a user's computer, encrypts it, and then demands a ransom in order to decrypt it.
In many cases, the malware authors or attackers will threaten to delete the data or publish it online unless the ransom is paid.
Can Ransomware Infect WiFi?
Yes, ransomware can infect WiFi networks, as malicious actors can use it to gain control of the network, steal confidential data, and lock out users. If a ransomware attack is successful, it could lead to a loss of service and/or data, and in some cases, financial losses.
Should I Pay Ransomware?
No, you should not pay ransomware extortionists. Paying them only encourages criminals and does not guarantee that the files or data will be restored. The better approach is to have a secure backup of important data and be vigilant about security in the first place.
What Happens If I Don't Pay Ransom?
If you don't pay the ransom, the hackers may still have access to your computer, data, or files and may continue to threaten to expose or delete them, or even use them to commit cybercrimes. In some cases, they may even continue to demand additional ransom payments.
Can a Ransomware Attack Be Detected?
Yes, ransomware can be detected. Anti-malware software and other advanced security tools can detect ransomware and alert the user when it is present on a machine.
It is important to stay up-to-date on the latest security measures and to keep security software updated to ensure ransomware can be detected and prevented.
Do Ransomware Criminals Get Caught?
Yes, ransomware criminals do get caught. Law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI, Interpol and others have been successful in tracking down and prosecuting ransomware criminals in the US and other countries. As ransomware threats continue to increase, so does the enforcement activity.
About the x1881 Virus Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this x1881 Virus how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific malware and restore your encrypted files.
How did we conduct the research on this ransomware?
Our research is based on an independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, and as such, we receive daily updates on the latest malware and ransomware definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the x1881 Virus ransomware threat is backed with VirusTotal and the NoMoreRansom project.
To better understand the ransomware threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.
As a site that has been dedicated to providing free removal instructions for ransomware and malware since 2014, SensorsTechForum’s recommendation is to only pay attention to trustworthy sources.
How to recognize trustworthy sources:
- Always check "About Us" web page.
- Profile of the content creator.
- Make sure that real people are behind the site and not fake names and profiles.
- Verify Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter personal profiles.